Jaycey: Back to Nature

Jaycey - Back to Nature

by

Annie

Published by Annie at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 A Brown

This book is licenced for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to a real person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

ISBN: 9781301418787

Cover drawing by Karen Antonelli

High up in the sky, high above the clouds and even above the flight path of any aeroplane, is a land of pink and purple candyfloss, a very beautiful place with pink rolling hills, crystal clear rivers, trees of every imaginable type and colour, and birds whose songs bring peace and contentment to all those who care to listen. This is such a beautiful land in which to sit and dream - that is, it looks remarkably like candyfloss, but the noise that comes from this delicate-looking mass is far from mouth-watering. This is the country of Nogdar, and Nogdar is the training establishment for dragons!

Perhaps you thought that dragons only exist in Storyland? Well, they do tend to appear only in stories but we all know that Storyland is a real place where exciting things happen every day. In Nogdar, the dragons spend every day learning how to do those special dragon things – breathing fire, wafting and swishing their incredibly long tails, and roaring with as much ferocity as they can muster. No wonder it gets a little noisy sometimes. They practise for a long time and, when they are fully qualified, they go to Storyland to await a task that requires a fierce dragon.

Nowadays, there are not many jobs for fierce dragons and they tend to get fat and lazy. Perhaps it is not surprising that some dragons try to skip the more difficult classes. In fact, if we are very quiet, we can peep into the training camp and see what is happening - wait - can you see that? Over at the edge of the camp, there is a rather small blue dragon sitting with his back to one of the high rocks, reading a book, and it is not one of his schoolbooks.

This is Jaycey.

Jaycey is different from the other dragons – he is blue instead of the usual greenish-brown colour and he is rather small, for a dragon. Also, his movements tend to be a bit slow and clumsy - very different from his colleagues at the training camp – mainly because he avoids every class he possibly can get out of.

As you well know, everyone gets into real trouble when they do not do things they are supposed to do and, right now, Jaycey is heading for trouble.

The story begins …

Jaycey yawned and turned over a page, but before his eyes could focus on the words, a loud shout shattered his peace.

‘Jaycey! Jaycey!’ his name echoed around the camp as Sergeant Toughnut, the training commander, searched for the missing student. ‘I suppose you’re hiding somewhere and reading one of your fancy books again. Well, my lad, it is my job to make you into a fierce fighting dragon and I will achieve that if it is the last thing I do! Now, where are you?’

Jaycey knew that it was impossible to hide from Sergeant Toughnut for very long so he carefully placed a bookmark between the pages of the book he had been reading and peered around the rock to see if he could find a way to sneak back to the class where the other dragons were working. A little way away, Sergeant Toughnut’s back was turned. Taking a deep breath, Jaycey scurried back to the class group, hopping about, here are there, to dodge the swish of large tails and to avoid the clash of vicious claws. Just in time, he ducked his head away from the streak of fire from a large green dragon who was practising his flame-throwing skills. Gradually, Jaycey worked his way through the group, throwing his tail about awkwardly as though he was practising.

It did not take the sergeant long to notice him. ‘Ah, there you are,’ he roared, ‘and don’t think you can fool me. I know you were slacking; enjoying your book, were you? Well, you will not have time to read any more today, I can promise you that!’

With a great bellow, Sergeant Toughnut called the other dragons to attention and pulled a reluctant Jaycey to the front of the class. Looking around at the other dragons, he shouted, ‘You all know how conscientious Jaycey is with his studies; he will now demonstrate the art of self-defence.’ The group stood quietly as the Sergeant glared at each one, ‘Now, who would be a suitable opponent for Jaycey’s demonstration – do I have a volunteer?’

Laughter broke out among the dragons. They all knew that Jaycey was not remotely ferocious or the slightest bit interested in fighting, even if it was as a safe practice exercise in class. They knew that Jaycey would have trouble fighting his way out of a paper bag, but he was very popular for the tales he told about other dragons who had fought for a just cause. They also knew that Jaycey would not willingly take part in any exercise at all if he could possibly avoid it, and none of the class wanted to embarrass him.

As Sergeant Toughnut slowly glared around the group, the eyes of each dragon looked down when he reached them; they did not want to fight, even in practice, with their gentle friend. The sergeant nodded knowingly and pointed to the largest dragon in the group, ‘Nemod, you shall defend yourself against an attack from Jaycey!’

Gasps of surprise and concern echoed around the group because everyone knew that Nemod was the meanest, strongest and most ferocious dragon that had ever trained at Nogdar. None of them had been able to score a single point against him and they all knew that Jaycey would not be able to stand up for more than one second against Nemod.

Nemod moved slowly forward, tail swishing, his eyes shining at the prospect of showing off his fighting skills. Jaycey began to shiver and cricked his neck as he looked up at the much larger dragon; he felt the ground shake as Nemod stamped his feet. ‘Now, Jaycey,’ roared Sergeant Toughnut, ‘let us see what you can do. Attack when you are ready!’

Jaycey thought he would never be ready but he stretched himself upwards, trying to look his opponent in the eye, as Sergeant Toughnut had said you must always do when you are in combat. Unfortunately, straining his neck to look upwards, he completely failed to see Nemod’s long tail swishing towards him - until it hit him squarely in his nether regions.

Jaycey somersaulted through the air, trying to remember the instructions and tactics in the training manual and preparing himself for the solid thump as he hit the ground. Trying to recite the rules of combat put his brain in such a whirl that he was very surprised when his tail caught in the branch of a high tree and he began to swing backwards and forwards, some distance from the ground. ‘Mmm,’ he thought, ‘at least that gives me a little time to make a plan.’ Below him on the ground, Nemod swung his great body around, trying to see where Jaycey had gone.

Both of them had very little time to wonder because the tree was not big enough to take the weight of a dragon, even one as small as Jaycey. With a loud cracking noise, the branch gave way and, once again, Jaycey was airborne. With some difficulty, he just managed to avoid the open jaws of Nemod’s upturned head. Twisting in the air, Jaycey managed to grasp Nemod’s spiky back and he clung on desperately. Nemod could not demonstrate his fighting skills without an opponent and he started to buck his huge body to shake Jaycey off his back. Jaycey clung onto Nemod’s spikes but he was so shaken about that he developed a severe attack of hiccups and each time Jaycey hiccupped, a small dragon flame shot from his nostrils and burned Nemod’s neck! Nemod roared with pain as each flame singed his neck and, despite the seriousness of the situation, the other dragons